Annual Report Year 2009 - Civil and Environmental Engineering

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Vorster continued from page 12 This program was designed to provide comprehensive mentoring to Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms in the highway construction industry. Vorster oversaw all aspects of this program since its inception, including the selection of VDOT personnel to work as mentors with the DBE firms who participate in the formal program. “I started this program in the belief that small minority owned construction companies would benefit greatly from the services of a dedicated and experienced mentor from whom they can obtain advice and guidance across the full spectrum of personal, technical and business challenges that small companies face. The program employs a full time mentor who works under my guidance to proactively assist between six and eight small minority owned construction companies in southwest Virginia. The program has made an undoubted contribution to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise community in southwest Virginia. Making that difference is an essential part of our service mission and of the privilege of being a member of our faculty,” Vorster said. When Connie Sorrell was the assistant commissioner of administration, VDOT, she wrote that “Mike has been instrumental in assisting (VDOT) in outreach efforts to strengthen and develop minority and women-owned businesses in obtaining their goals to become transportation contractors. ...Mike brings his integrity, trust, expertise and good humor to his clients 14 | VIA REPORT | 2009 “We strive to be the model Land Grant University of the 21st century. I have valued the words, the spirit, and the challenge of that statement.” ~ Michael C. Vorster in this program and his colleagues at VDOT in a way that enriches us all.” Another trait Vorster brings to his field is passion. After he spoke as a guest lecturer in Paul Torgersen’s Theory of Organization class, he received an email from one of the seniors in attendance, Ryan Arvin. In part, it read: “Your presentation … was the most inspiring lecture I’ve been in, and one that I’ve walked away remembering just about everything. …Your speech was inspiring and made me realize I need to follow my passion now.” Among his numerous awards, the National Academy of Construction inducted him as a member in 2000. Members of this academy are considered to “be industry leaders whose present or past professional career over a period of years demonstrates outstanding contributions to the engineering and construction industry.” The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) awarded Vorster its Faculty of the Year Award in 2000 and its Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize for a Research Publication in 1992. The latter is an award given to recognize the best scholarly publication in a given year within the society’s construction engineering and management journal. The Construction Industry Institute, a leading organization of its kind in the U.S., gave him its Outstanding Research Award in 1995. The State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV) presented its 2003 Outstanding Faculty Award to Vorster. At Virginia Tech, he received the Alumni Award for Teaching Excellence in 2001, Certificates of Teaching Excellence from the College of Engineering in 1993 and in 1999, a Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service in 1999, and the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s 2004 Alumni Teaching Excellence Award. He is a member of the Virginia Tech Academy of Teaching Excellence. At Virginia Tech, “we strive to be the model Land Grant University of the 21st century,” Vorster said. “I have valued the words, the spirit, and the challenge of that statement. A faculty position is a privilege not enjoyed by many. I accepted that the privilege carries heavy responsibilities; you work with the best young minds in the Commonwealth and beyond, you advance the frontiers of knowledge, and you truly seek to create a better future. Your contributions must lead to new peaks of achievement for an exceptionally talented generation that faces more challenges than ever before.” Vorster’s commitment to students throughout Virginia was illustrated through his involvement with the Commonwealth Graduate Engineering Program (CGEP). CGEP is a graduate distance learning televised program offered throughout the Commonwealth under the auspices of SCHEV. Throughout his career, Vorster taught several CGEP courses that were broadcast to sites in the Commonwealth, again receiving excellent student evaluation scores for the quality of instruction that he provided in the challenging environment of distance learning. A second major accomplishment in outreach/public service was Vorster’s development (in 1988) and continuous annual leadership of the Transportation Construction Management Institute (TCMI), a ten-day continuing education program developed especially for middle managers in VDOT and member companies of the Virginia Road and Transportation Builders Association. Vorster served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering from 1993 until 1997. While he was associate dean, he still taught each semester, played a significant role in the development of the Green Engineering program in the college, as well as the plans to open the College’s Ware Lab, a space devoted entirely to student design team projects in engineering. Vorster received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and his masters in business administration in 1965 and in 1971, respectively from the University of Cape Town. He earned his doctorate in engineering from the University of Stellenbosch in 1980.
STUDENT NEWS Undergraduate scholarships CE Alumni Board Scholarship Stephanie Burt John Draminski Andrew Harasz Melissa Ruth Ryan Yauger American Infrastructure Scholarship Erich Roscher (CEM) Lisa Alban (CEM) Jason Leib (CEM) Kenneth R. Ayers ’80 Memorial Scholarship Michael Prince Balzer & Associates Scholarship Maria Lang William A. Caruthers CE Scholarship Jonathan Sproul CE Class of ’58 Scholarship John Bergman Shane Cochran Katherine Masoero Nataliya Schroeder Michael Werder Warren F. Cline Scholarship Kevin Aswegan Sabina Fedrowitz Matthew Werder Stanley & Francis Cohen Scholarship Kendall Blanding Tyler Austin Andrew Gingrich CMAA (Construction Management Association of America) Scholarship Sabina Fedrowitz Brent Brown (CEM) C. Jacob Brown (BC) John DeBell Civil Engineering Scholarship Bradley Rieland Delta Airport Consultants, Inc. Scholarship Stephen Litsas Dewberry Scholarship Olivia Parks Jeffrey Wary L.J. Turner & W.S. Dewhirst Scholarship Nathan Fox Ryan Clayton Walter & Mary Ruth Duncan Scholarship Kyle Lawson Stephanie Shupe Chelsey A. Godfrey Scholarship Tyler Harrington Lois Cox & Edna Goodwin Scholarship Patrick Joyce Matthew Hynson Ryan Durner Harry S. & Patsy B. Williams Scholarship Mallory Barkdull Wesley Sturgill Hankins & Anderson Scholarship Zachary Stutts Kelso Baker Scholarship Bryan Carey Gary Riggins William Bulloss Joshua Magargee Charles & Patricia Brown Scholarship Lars Peterson Everett Carter Memorial Scholarship Carrie Hargraves Joseph & Jane Christenbury Memorial Scholarship Jaquelyn Dalrymple Geo-Technology Associates Scholarship Gerald Henson Williams A. Joyner Scholarship Elaine Huffman Dennis & Sherry Kamber Scholarship Elizabeth Gichana Lingerfelt Family Foundation Scholarship Roger Arnold Margret Mascaro Hersie B. & Ethel G. McCauley Scholarship Martin Johnson Ashleigh Newman Layla Cabrera Kenton & Liliana Meland Scholarship Kevin Pocta George Bowers Michael Baker Corporation Engineering Scholarship Christopher Trent Howell & Ann Simmons Land Development Design Scholarship Jamie Zivich Newport News Shipbuilding Scholarship Lindsey Hatcher John E. Pruitt, Jr. Scholarship Patrick Drury George A. Stewart Engineering Scholarship Corey Oliver Paul Zheng Thomas Sproul Sara Sidhom Daniel Boppe Kathryn Winters Andrew Sottile-Jackson Jonathan Grace Undergraduate Stewart Scholars Caitlin Proctor Faizan Qureshi SMC Concrete Scholarship Jonathan Emenheiser Will Matthews Southern Ironworks, Inc. Scholarship in honor of Charles E. Spitzer, Class of ’49 Scott Darling Stantec Award for Excellence in Engineering Nick Ellington Vecellio Scholarship Shane Cochran Arsalan Heydarian Jeffrey Smith Zachary Stutts Jason Tartaglia (CEM) Joseph Arcella (CEM) Virginia-Carolinas Structural Steel Fabricators Association Elaine Huffmann Andrew Gillespie Virginia Concrete Scholarship Marwan Mahmoud Francis Pesce Via Scholarship Claire McKenzie Williams Industries Scholarship Junghoon In Cody McElroy Katie Young Verne & Jewel Williamson Scholarship William Carter Alumni Golf Tournaments Scholarship Elizabeth Moreton Anonymous Gifts Scholarship Christopher Dianora 2009 | VIA REPORT | 15
Page 1 and 2: the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department
Page 3 and 4: DEPARTMENT HEAD’S MESSAGE Changin
Page 5 and 6: RESEARCH NEWS tor must perform much
Page 7 and 8: RESEARCH NEWS the effectiveness of
Page 9 and 10: RESEARCH NEWS sions,” they conclu
Page 11 and 12: RESEARCH NEWS project are Nicholas
Page 13 and 14: FACULTY HONORS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Jes
Page 15: FACULTY NEWS Outstanding leadership
Page 19 and 20: STUDENT NEWS Ph.D. degrees awarded
Page 21 and 22: CEE FACULTY BY PROGRAM AREA Vecelli
Page 23 and 24: PROGRAM AREAS VECELLIO CONSTRUCTION
Page 25 and 26: PROGRAM AREAS ENVIRONMENTAL AND WAT
Page 33 and 34: PROGRAM AREAS GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER
Page 35 and 36: PROGRAM AREAS STRUCTURAL ENGINEERIN
Page 37 and 38: PROGRAM AREAS STRUCTURAL ENGINEERIN
Page 39 and 40: PROGRAM AREAS TRANSPORTATION INFRAS
Page 41 and 42: PROGRAM AREAS TRANSPORTATION INFRAS
Page 43 and 44: MEET THE VIA SCHOLARS The following
Page 45 and 46: VIA SCHOLARS MASTER’S STUDENTS Su
Page 47 and 48: VIA SCHOLARS MASTER’S STUDENTS Ro
Page 49 and 50: VIA SCHOLARS DOCTORAL STUDENTS Tiff
Page 51 and 52: VIA SCHOLARS DOCTORAL STUDENTS Mart
Page 53 and 54: VIA SCHOLARS DOCTORAL STUDENTS Lash
Page 55 and 56: VIA SCHOLARS DOCTORAL STUDENTS Jenn
Page 57 and 58: VIA SCHOLARS DOCTORAL STUDENTS Meli
Page 59 and 60: VIA ALUMNI Via Alumni: Where are th
Page 61 and 62: VIA ALUMNI Joshua A. Joseph, Jr. Ye
Page 63 and 64: VIA ALUMNI Clark Morrison Year Grad
Page 65 and 66: VIA ALUMNI John C. Ryan, Jr. Year G
Page 67 and 68:
VIA DONORS Paul B. Johnson.........
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VIA DONORS The following organizati
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The Charles E. Via, Jr. Department
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Annual Report Year 2009 - Civil and Environmental Engineering

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